


In Your Own Sweet Way

by Trefmawr



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Drama, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Infidelity, Pining, Romance, Short & Sweet, bad breakup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2018-11-30 04:28:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11455998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trefmawr/pseuds/Trefmawr
Summary: Judy's love life comes to a crashing halt when she discovers her lover in bed with another rabbit. Her life outside of work on the verge of collapse, she turns to her best friend for help.





	1. In Which Judy Practices Ninjutsu

Judy shouldered her small, ZPD branded travel duffel as she readied to disembark from the train car. She had caught the last train out of Bunnyburrow on a whim, instead of waiting for the morning train like she had originally planned. The train dropped her off at the central station just shy of 9:45PM, and she was glad she had made the last minute decision. She loved her parents to death, but they could be incredibly smothering. She also missed her partner Nick, as well as her boyfriend Lance. 

 

Since it was a Friday night, she was sure Lance would appreciate the early return as well. Judy’s thoughts turned slightly lascivious at the thought of how she might surprise him. She had tried calling him before she left Bunnyburrow, but her call went straight to voicemail. This wasn’t terribly shocking, as Lance’s beat up old phone was well known to have an absolutely brutal battery life. Judy had considered buying him a new one for his upcoming birthday, but he had always claimed to be looking at replacing it very soon, so she held off. 

 

By the time she had made it to his apartment where she lived with him, it was nearing 11:00PM. The six storey, small mammal apartment complex was much nicer than her old, closet sized apartment she had lived in when she first moved to Zootopia, and it even had a working elevator! As she exited said elevator and headed towards the door, she reached into her jacket pocket to pull out her keys. Thumbing to the correct one, she was about to side it into the deadbolt when a muffled moan brought her to complete stillness. 

 

Ears pitched forward and alert, Judy held her breath and strained her impressive hearing to try and catch the sound she was sure came from the other side of the door. She hoped that it was a mistake and had possibly come from another room, the sound maybe bouncing off a wall and giving the illusion that it had come from inside Lance’s apartment. Her hopes were dashed when the same voice moaned out again, this time also calling out Lance’s name in ecstasy. 

 

Even over the suddenly deafening thunder of her heartbeat, Judy’s acute hearing could now make out the rhythmic creaking of the bed, the soft pants, grunts, and moans, and the other sickening sounds of her boyfriend’s infidelity. Dread and something else welled up in her chest and seemed to come to a sharp point when Lance cried out the name of his bedmate.

 

“Oh Roxy!”

 

A hundred scenarios played through Judy’s mind in an instant, each plan more tempting than the last. She saw herself kicking down the door in righteous fury, laying into the rabbit buck she had foolishly given her heart to. Images of stalking into the room and shocking the couple with a few thousand watts from her taser came to mind. Slipping in with a camera to photograph incriminating evidence that would tarnish Lance’s career. All these plans and more passed by as she stood at the door, still as a statue, while her now former lover cried out in passion inside. 

 

Lowering her arm woodenly, key still clenched in her paw, Judy turned and slowly made her way to the far end of the hall. Turning the corner she leaned against the wall and made to wait, hidden from sight of the door to Lance’s apartment. She had a half-formed plan now, but the shock of the situation cleared almost all thoughts from her mind, replacing them with a detached numbness that stilled her entire body. 

 

Eventually Lance’s door opened and she heard the pair make plans to rendezvous again at a later date, a date Judy recognized as one of her night shifts. Quick, hot fury surged in her head, nearly causing her to abandon her plans in a violent confrontation, but she remained steadfast until the other bunny was gone, and Lance was back in his apartment. She waited another thirty minutes until she was sure Lance was sleeping, as she knew that he succumbed to slumber quickly after being intimate. Utilizing all the stealth she could muster, Judy crept silently into the hall, and unlocked the door to the suite without a single sound. 

 

Lance was a heavy sleeper and Judy knew she could make a small amount of noise, but with her body as tense as it was she was taking no chances, moving slowly and surely about the room. She was swift and silent, and after three hours of practicing her ninjutsu, her task was complete. Every shred of evidence that she had lived there was gone. All her clothes, electronics, dishes, pictures, and toiletries were packed up into her suitcases and a few boxes, now stacked neatly by the door. Double checking, and then triple checking that she hadn’t missed anything, Judy began moving all her luggage to the elevator. 

 

Having stashed her belongings in the front lobby, Judy then returned to the fourth floor where she had lived for the past five months and stood in front of Lance’s door. Staring through it to where she pictured Lance sprawled across his bed, she breathed deep and exhaled roughly through her nostrils, pulling out her keys once more and sliding the lock shut. Judy then removed the two building keys from her key ring and slid them under the door. Then, without a second glance, Judy turned and left.

 

\---------------

 

After the taxi had dropped Judy and her worldly belongings off at her destination, she began to worry about this part of the plan. While she was fairly certain things would go the way she thought, there was always a little bit of doubt when it came to Nicholas Wilde. Many things about his life were a mystery to Judy, including the inside of his apartment. She had only seen just inside the door a pawful of times when parting ways with him on their many nights out. 

 

She also didn’t know if she was going to be barging in on Nick being intimate with someone, as his love life was also a complete mystery. Even though she had pestered him relentlessly to give any insight to the matter, Nick never budged.

 

“A gentlemammal never tells, Carrots.” he had told her on one particularly boring patrol, his smug grin driving her blood pressure up.

 

Not even Clawhauser had any dirt on the sly fox, which was saying a lot, as the chubby cheetah had info on everyone’s romantic interests both inside the precinct  _ and  _ outside of it.

 

Judy debated calling Nick, but had shut off her phone just in case Lance tried to contact her; as remote a chance that was, she wasn’t in the state to even consider it. Shoving all other thoughts aside, she opened the front door to the apartment building with the spare key Nick had given her, and began moving her luggage into the foyer. Then it was transporting it all up the elevator. Then it was moving it to beside Nick’s door. She then took a deep breath and knocked gently on the door. While she had a key to his apartment, Judy felt that this was something that required a certain permission. 

 

Some shuffling was heard before the lock on the was unlatched and the door pulled open. Nick stood there clad only in a pair of dark green boxer briefs, peering down at her in bleary confusion. 

 

“Carrots? It’s nearly four in the morning, you ok?” Despite being rudely woken up so early in the morning, Nick seemed to gather something was amiss. The past few hours and Nick’s immediate concern for her wellbeing seemed to smash through her weak hold on her emotions, causing her face to scrunch up uncontrollably, her eyes burning with unshed tears.

 

“H-hey Nick…” Judy croaked out “Can I-I stay with you, maybe a couple days?”

 

As the dam broke, so too did Nick’s heart at the sight of Judy. His eyes quickly took in the scene before him, Judy’s belongings assembled in the hall, and came to the conclusion that things had ended rather abruptly between her and her boyfriend Lance.

 

“Oh Judy, sweetheart, come here.” Nick soothed gently, bending down on one knee to bring Judy into a tight hug. The grey rabbit buried her face into Nick’s chest and choked out a few sobs.

 

“Of course you can stay, you can stay as long as you need to. Come on, let’s get inside ok?”

 

Nick felt Judy nod into his chest as he guided her into his home. Bringing her over to the couch in the living room, he moved a blanket over to make room for her before laying the blanket over her legs. 

 

“I’ll go grab your things and bring them in here, you just sit tight ok?”

 

Judy nodded and tried to stifle her sobs, but they kept climbing up her throat, making her breath hitch and her shoulders shudder. Pulling the blanket up to cover her face, Judy cried into the soft cloth and wondered how she could be so stupid.

 

\------------


	2. In Which Judy Tries To Divulge A Secret Recipe

The next day brought grey, dull clouds that misted the city with a light rain; a dreary, somber mood quite well suited to the atmosphere inside Nick’s apartment. It was a little past eleven in the morning, and with both officers having the day off, there was little motivation to do much of anything. Nick had been a comforting presence to Judy all morning, never pressing her for information, and giving her space when she needed it. To say she appreciated it was quite an understatement. 

 

Lost in her thoughts, she paid little attention to what Nick was up to in the kitchen until he stepped in front of her to place something on the coffee table. Judy lifted her listless gaze from her long cold mug of tea clutched between her paws to where Nick had just placed a plate down, taking in the gigantic, golden brown belgian waffle that laid upon it. Absolutely covered in blueberries, strawberries, maple syrup, and whipped cream, the sight of the breakfast delight caused a growl to rip forth from her empty stomach. A mirthless, slightly embarrassed chuckle came from her throat as she looked up at the gently smiling fox.

 

“Come on Carrots, let’s get some ‘Mama Wilde’s Feel Better Waffles’ in you before you waste away, alright?”

 

With a big sniffle and a slight grin, Judy placed her mug down and picked up the knife and fork Nick had set down beside her plate, working the utensils into the soft, fluffy waffle with ease. After cutting a piece off and putting it in her mouth, Judy closed her eyes to savour the wonderful comfort food she had been given. Only once before had she been fortunate enough to experience one of ‘Mama Wilde’s’ famous recipes, so she was going to enjoy it.

 

“Mmmm, Nick. I need this recipe. This is almost euphoric!” Nick chuckled at Judy’s big doe eyed pleading expression, waving it off with practiced ease.

 

“You know the rules, Fluff. It’s a family secret passed down only through blood or marriage, punishable by death otherwise.”

 

“I should just marry you then, I know you’d take care of me and be faithful…” Judy seemed to cut into her waffle with a little more vigor as she spoke. A clatter of silverware from the kitchen drew her eyes to where Nick was now picking up a fork off the counter.

 

“Paw slipped.” Nick’s back was turned to Judy, but she could tell there was some tension in his frame. He seemed to shake it off after a moment before continuing. “So I assume that Lord of the Dance Lance couldn’t keep it in his pants?”

 

There was a long pause before Judy answered him in a croaking voice.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Nick placed the dirty utensils in the sink before he moved to sit down on the couch next to Judy, draping an arm over her shoulders, guiding her head to rest against his chest. Fresh tears began to spill from her eyes.

 

“God Nick, what did I do wrong? Was I not loving enough? Didn’t I give enough?”

 

“Judy, you gave that worthless buck more than enough, it was nothing you did! He was scum from the beginning.”

 

“Why didn’t I listen to you, Nick? You tried to warn me, but he was so full of charisma and energy and...fuck listen to me. Just tell me ‘I told you so’, complete the trope in this sad, shitty, day-time tv drama plot.”

 

“Hey none of that now, the guy’s a broadway actor, it’s his  _ job _ to be like that. It just so happens that his fidelity was also an act.”

 

“Yeah…” Judy’s tears began to ebb, little sniffles still sneaking out here and there. “It was with Roxy.”

 

“His personal trainer? God, how typical can you get.”

 

“Right?”

 

“Did it get violent?”

 

Judy shook her head.

 

“No, I really wanted to punch his face through the floor though.”

 

“There’s not a court in the world that would try you if you did, you know.”

 

Judy laughed a bit and broke out of Nick’s embrace.

 

“I know. Being a super cop has it’s perks. Such as this waffle, which I need to destroy.”

 

“I’ll leave you to it then.” Nick laughed and got up from the couch.

 

“Thanks Nick, really. You’re the best.” Judy said with pure sincerity.

 

“I know.” With a sly wink, Nick walked out of the living room and into his second room he had turned into an office. Closing the door, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number he knew by heart.

 

“Finn. Hey buddy, we need to execute plan Bravo Three.” Nick paused and looked at a picture he had framed on his desk, one of himself and Judy hamming it up for the camera.

 

“Yeah. Go big.”


	3. In Which Judy's Acting Skills Are Displayed Once More

The next two weeks passed in a blur of monotonous police work and fruitless searching for a new apartment for Judy to live in. She had tried many different avenues in her search so far, but none seemed to come up with any solutions to her housing crisis. She had even went as far as trying to see if there was a suite available at her old, derelict apartment block, the Grand Pangolin Arms, but even that was full up. Something she was actually kind of happy for. The rundown building had been charming for a whole three days when she had first moved to Zootopia, but that had quickly faded once she began to lose sleep over the constant noise of bickering neighbours, loud plumbing, and passing rail traffic. Not to mention the total lack of privacy living in a shoebox with paper walls offered. 

 

Nick had constantly teased her about her it when she had lived there, waxing on about how she should have researched her quarters before jumping in head first. She had paid him back by making him stay over at her place for movie nights, suckering him into missing the last train with marathon viewings of his favourite trilogies. The fact that the normally unflappable fox got so incredibly invested in the stories of Indiana Bones and Star Boars, despite having seen them countless times, was so adorable that it brought a grin to Judy’s face every time she thought of it. 

 

Despite living with the fox who knew everyone in Zootopia, Judy had stubbornly decided to search for a new home by herself, trying to ease her conscience about burdening her vulpine partner any more than necessary. After the fifth place she looked at turned out to be another bust, Judy’s resolve began to waver on that decision. 

 

She chalked it up to the added stress of dealing with her parents finding out about Lance, and the fact that Lance hadn’t even tried to contact her once in the last two weeks, confirming the fact that she had meant so little to him. She had sent him a text three days after her discovery of his infidelity, outlining her witnessing said act, and there was no response other than her iCarrot’s notification that the message had been read. 

 

Her fury had been so great at the obvious snubbing that she had been close to driving their police cruiser right to his door to confront him about it, but Nick calmly taken her clenched paws off the steering wheel and held them comfortingly. 

 

“I know it’s hard Judy, but trust me. Guys like him get what’s coming to them sooner or later.”

 

The use of her real name and the sincerity in his voice had quelled her anger and stopped her from doing something that would have probably made the front page news, something she was quite grateful for. She had noticed that Nick was using her real name and not a nickname more often lately. Only ever in private, and usually when he was comforting her, but it was something of a secret thrill to her whenever it happened.

 

The final straw to ask Nick for help came when she showed up to view a small mammal sized one bedroom suite, and there was already ten other mammals inside, waving wads of cash in the air and shouting out offers to the rental agent standing in the center of the room. There was a  _ bidding war _ going on for an  _ apartment!  _ Judy stared, slack jawed as the rent doubled right in front of her eyes. Without a word, she turned and left, her feet carrying her back to the train station on autopilot. After taking transit back to Nick’s place, she walked up to said fox, and prepared to eat a big slice of humble pie. Nick, who was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal and reading a comic book, despite it being three in the afternoon, turned to see her determined expression barreling down on him and smiled that smug grin that told Judy he had probably just won a bet he had placed with himself. 

 

“Say no more Carrots, Nick Wilde is on the case.” Judy rolled her eyes, but smiled anyways.

 

“I haven’t even said anything to you yet.”

 

“Bah, details, details. I know that look, Officer Fluff, you need help with something, and seeing how your current predicament is of the housing variety, you’ve finally given in to reason and come for  _ my _ help. Which is, of course, the correct thing to do!”

 

“Of course.” Judy deadpanned.

 

“Of course! Now, before I bestow upon you the full weight of my benevolent genius, I’m going to need some prepayment. One statement of absolute veracity detailing my sheer magnificence.” Nick fixed Judy with such a down-the-muzzle-holier-than-thou look that it made her teeth grind.

 

“Wha- You haven’t even given me-”

 

“Ah bup bup bup bup! Less balk, more talk.”

 

Judy’s left eye twitched before she fixed the most vapid, dopey look about her face, clasped her paws together under her chin and beamed up at Nick, her voice carrying a tone so false that a B-rate movie actor would throw a fit of envy. 

 

“Oh Nick, you are simply the smartest, bestest, most handsome-est fox in the whole wide world! Won’t you please help this poor, poor-”

 

“Eugh! Ok, enough, that’ll do. You’ll give me cavities, Hopps. Do you practice that?”

 

The pair broke out laughing before Nick went into his office and came back with a file folder. Setting the thin folder on the table, Nick gestured towards it with one paw.

 

“Voila!”

 

Judy smiled shyly at Nick before moving her gaze to the folder in front of her. Opening it she saw that it contained a few sheets of paper, six in total, each with a different rental suite on it. Upon reading further she saw that every single one of them was close to work, bigger than any of the places she had looked at before, and strangest of all, the same price as her old place had been.

 

“Nick, I don’t understand how this is possible? I’ve never even seen these places on any of my searches, and how could they be this cheap?”

 

“Ah Carrots, how many times have I told you now? In Zootopia, it’s not always about what you know. It’s also not always about  _ who _ you know. It’s about  _ what  _ you know about who you know.”

 

“Niiiiick, I’m not moving into a place that you’ve blackmailed someone into letting me rent on the cheap!”

 

“Oh! You wound me, Carrots! I’ve never done anything of the sort, and I don’t plan on starting now. I bend the rules, never break them.”

 

Judy gave Nick a flat look, but had to admit that he was right. Nothing he had ever done in his checkered past was actually illegal, aside from not paying taxes on his dubious income, which he had rectified already. 

 

“Besides, four out of the six of those are managed by my Uncle, who had no problem helping out his only and favourite nephew, and the other two are owned by mammals that I helped out a while ago that would practically give me them for free if I let them.”

 

This assuaged Judy’s concerns as she knew Nick wouldn’t lie to her. Withhold certain truths and facts, maybe, but never outright lie.

 

“Alright, I’m sorry I doubted you partner.”

 

“No worries, Fluff. There is one thing, though.” Nick’s look changed into something that Judy couldn’t place. “The buildings house mostly vulpine tenants. Would you be alright with that?”

 

Judy’s reply came without hesitation, straight from the heart.

 

“Of course!”

 

Nick’s bright smile upon hearing her response sent a tingle up her spine.


	4. In Which Judy Meets A Wise Wolf

Another two weeks passed in the blink of an eye and Judy was getting ready to move into her new place. It wasn’t hard for her to fall in love with the apartment she had chosen when she first saw it, but then again it wasn’t hard for her to fall in love with  _ all _ the apartments Nick had picked for her. Having the savvy fox and his real estate embedded uncle on the job had really gone her way. She had seen the pile of rejected suites in Nick’s office and none of them were in any way bad choices. Just not as good as the final cut. Thinking about the time Nick must have put into filtering them into the resulting six made Judy’s heart swell. What did she ever do to deserve such a friend? She would have to come up with something big to even begin to pay him back for his efforts. Crates of blueberries from the Hopps’ Family Farm would be on route as soon as she could manage.

 

As it was, she, Nick, and Finnick were currently loading the last of her belongings into Finnick’s van to be brought over to her new living quarters. After placing a box in the rear of the van, Judy turned and looked up to see a new billboard about three quarters complete going up across the street. It was advertising a new Broadway dance show coming out next month called Riverprance. Front and center was Lance gracefully leaping across the frame, his bemused smile spread easily across his face. Judy’s mood immediately soured. 

 

“Well there’s a show I will be  _ gladly _ avoiding in the future.” Judy grunted out as she shut the doors to the van a little harder than necessary. 

 

“Well I’m sure it will flop, Hopps.” Nick’s reply came from behind her.

 

“Yeah, don’chu worry bout nothin’, Miss Bunny Cop. He’s washed up.” Finnick’s deep rumbling timbre joined in. Judy turned to give the two foxes a small smile before looking back at the billboard.

 

“I just hate that stupid shit-eating face he’s got. Pisses me off.”

 

Nick and Finnick looked at each other and nodded briefly before turning their attention back to Judy.

 

“Yeah it ain’t doing much for me either. And I have to live next to it!” Nick placed a comforting paw on her shoulder. “C’mon Carrots, let’s get your stuff dropped off and then we can take a stroll around Market Street.”

 

Judy nodded and went to climb in the van.

 

\-----------

 

As Judy didn’t have much as far as personal belongings went, the move took no time at all. After staring at the nearly empty, almost cavernous space that was her new pad, she decided that some furniture would be needed in the near future, particularly a new bed. Stowing thoughts of thrift shopping and bargain hunting for later, Judy took one last glance around her new home and smiled, before turning to look at Nick standing in the doorway. The fox was in turn looking at her with such a smile on his face that it almost hit her physically. It only lasted for a split second before his normal relaxed smile took its place. 

 

“Alright Hopps, ready to pull the stops, hit the shops, and forget we’re cops? Gorgeous night, can’t possibly flop!”

 

Rolling her eyes at her partner’s penchant for carrying-on, Judy groaned agreeably and grabbed her small side bag. Yoga pants lacked pockets after all.

 

“Let’s just move before you say anything else and make my eyeballs detach from rolling so hard.”

 

“Your wish is my command, my lovely lagomorph.”

 

“Then I command you to shut your cake-hole and shake a leg, buster. Less sweet talkin’, more street walkin’!”

 

“Now you’re speaking my language! Onward!”

 

\-----------

 

When the pair finally made it to Market Street, despite bickering, bantering, and playfighting the entire way, they were pleased to see it wasn’t too packed, with just enough foot traffic to keep it lively. Various stalls and shops were set up along either side of the long stretch of cobblestone road, and vendors of all sorts were calling out deals and advertising their wares. The street stretched about four city blocks and was completely closed off to all vehicle traffic, something that had been going on since its creation several decades ago. From produce to purses, glasses to gadgets, you could find it all on Market Street. 

 

Judy and Nick weren’t looking for anything in particular, mostly just unwinding after a long week of police work, and moving Judy’s stuff into her new place, so they mostly just ambled about at a lazy pace, window shopping and looking at anything that caught their fancy. It was late afternoon, just before dinner and the pair were debating ordering some pizza to Judy’s new pad, or finding something from one of the food stalls. 

 

“So when are you thinking of throwing the house warming party Carrots?” Nick asked as he held a jeweled trinket aloft, inspecting it with a critical eye. Judy herself was going through a few bracelets that she thought would go well with one of her nicer shirts.

 

“Eh, maybe a couple weeks from now? Once I’ve got everything settled and actually have some furniture to entertain guests with. Can’t have em all sitting on the floor you know.”

 

“Mm, good call.” Nick hummed in agreement, putting down the shiny object and picking up a set of rhinestone studded sunglasses. About to put them on, he then shook his head and deposited them back to where the were. “Eh, too much.”

 

Judy decided on two of the bracelets she had been looking at and the pair were off again. Moving down the third block of the open market, the pair came across a stall advertising a charity raffle, currently being run by an auburn coloured female wolf. 

 

“Test your luck, ladies and gentlemammals! Fabulous prizes for the winners! Cash! All inclusive travel packages! Big screen TV’s! All proceeds go to St. Luna’s Children’s Hospital, donations are also welcome! Five bucks a spin, ten bucks gets you three! Step right up!”

 

“Ooh! I love these! I’m gonna give it a try, see how ol’ Lady Luck likes me tonight!” Nick said excitedly as he raced to the booth, fishing out a ten. Judy followed behind at a much slower pace, but was laughing at the childlike exuberance her partner was showing at the simple game. And simple it was, consisting of a rotating drum that eventually dropped a coloured ball with a number on it once turned, similar to a bingo picker. Nick strode up to the wolf and slapped his money down on the counter.

 

“I’ll take three spins please.”

 

The wolf attendant took his money with a smile and gestured to the drum.

 

“Have at it, champ.”

 

Rolling up a non-existent sleeve from his forearm, Nick surveyed the lottery machine critically before waggling his fingers theatrically. Gripping the crank handle and giving it a stern look, he then began to turn it.

 

“C’mon baby, papa needs a new pair of everything!”

 

With a lackluster clunk, a small grey ball dropped out of the chute and into the bowl below.

 

“Sorry, no dice.” Came the droll response of the wolf.

 

“Alright, no problem, two more, lotsa luck to be had.”

 

Once more he gripped the crank in a similar fashion to before, spinning it and landing another ball in the bowl. This one also grey.

 

“Dud. Tough luck, pal.”

 

“Hoo-kay, no big, no big, third time’s the charm here we go.”

 

This time it seemed Nick put all of his focus into channeling his luck, shutting his eyes and breathing deep. As he reached to turn the crank he began chanting something under his breath. Judy swiveled her ears closer to catch his words.

 

“...heart of the cards, heart of the cards, heart of the cards…”

 

Judy’s poorly concealed snort of laughter drowned out the sound the the third and final ball hitting the bowl, it’s dull thunk completely drowned out by the rabbit’s snickering. Nick cracked open one eye to see that the final ball resting in the bowl was still just a grey loser.

 

“Aaaand that makes three. Nice try, better luck next time.” The smiling wolf proclaimed, pulling out an apple to take a large bite. Nick stood there staring at the lottery machine with drooping ears and slack shoulders. Judy stopped laughing and was about to console him when he turned to her and spoke in a funny, old time jazz voice.

 

“Welp, if it wudn’t fo’ bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” And with a smile and wink, it was like nothing had happened to the fox. Judy laughed freely this time and gave him a pat on the back.

 

“How about you miss, care to try your luck?” The called out to Judy, a pleasant smile on her face.

 

“Yeah, give it a whirl Carrots! You’re a rabbit after all, you gotta be at  _ least  _ twice as lucky as me, right?”

 

The deadpan look Judy sent Nick’s way didn’t even put a crack in his smile.

 

“Eh, I’m not much of a luck person really.”

 

“Come on, one spin, I’m paying.” Nick said, resolutely putting a five buck note on the table.

 

“Well, if you insist.” Judy shrugged and stood up on the tips of her feet to grasp the lottery crank. After she turned it several times a small ball finally fell out, this one golden coloured. The wolf immediately jumped over to the side of her stall and grabbed a large handbell, proceeding to ring it with passion.

 

“Winner! We have a winner folks! The golden ball has come out for this lucky lady rabbit!”

 

Shocked by the sudden clamour of the wolf, mammals from around the area stopped what they were doing to look at the commotion. 

 

“Carrots! You did it! You won! Way to go!”

 

The startled doe looked about her in surprise before gathering her wits about her.

 

“I did? Wow! What did I win?”

 

The wolf turned back to the pair and plucked the golden ball from the bowl, holding it aloft above her head.

 

“The golden ball! Ten thousand bucks cash prize!”

 

People all around them cheered and clapped as the wolf brought out a large, novelty cheque with ‘10,000 Bucks’ on the front. A camera man appeared from behind the booth and took the picture of a shellshocked, but smiling Judy Hopps and the auburn wolf holding the prize. After explaining that a real cheque for the cash amount would be mailed to her right away, Judy signed some forms allowing the hospital to use the photo for promotional purposes and was then released, a vibrating, squealing bundle of energy that jumped all over the place proclaiming her victory.

 

“I won! I won? Holy cracker jacks I won! Woo!”

 

As Nick and the excited rabbit began to make their way back to Judy’s home, Nick turned to look back at the auburn furred wolf running the lottery booth. After catching the wolf’s eye, Nick gave a sly grin and a wink. The wolf in turn gave a grin and took a big bite out of her apple.

 

\----------


	5. In Which Judy Tastes The Rainbow

The return to work for the two small police partners was full of merriment as their co-workers had learned the news of Judy’s windfall from the charity raffle. Benjamin was all but combusting with glee at the thoughts of ways she might spend her ‘Christmas In July Bonus’ as he had put it. Judy laughed it all off with a wave of her paw and told her favourite cheetah what her actual plans for the money were.

 

“I’d like you to spread the word for me Ben. I’ll be having a nice housewarming party for my new apartment next weekend, and I want to pass on the details to you so you can do what you do best!”

 

“You betcha Judy! I’ll make sure even Gladis down in records knows by the end of the day!”

 

“You the mammal Ben! Top shelf!” Judy bounced up to fist bump Clawhauser’s meaty paw with a grin.

 

“Oh I just can’t wait! It’s gonna be so much fun! I’m gonna make a banner, and some party favours, oooooh! And some fancy invites! With  _ glitter _ !”

 

“Alright, alright, just don’t go overboard, okay?” Judy laughed as Benjamin fisted his paws up into his cheeks, eyes gazing out into nothing as he imagined all the festive party related crafts he was going to cook up. Turning back to the rabbit officer who was now giving him a mock glare, the chubby cheetah chuckled and gave a mock salute.

 

“Yes ma’am!”

 

Judy nodded and went off to get ready for roll call. Making her way through the hallways to the bullpen, Judy went through a mental list of things she would need to sort out for the upcoming party. Booking the event room on the top floor of her new building was first and foremost. The large room had access to the rooftop patio so hopefully the weather would be nice. Booze, snacks, and the like were obvious, but things like different sized dishes for the many types of mammals coming were needed as well. On that train of thought, Judy made her way over to Officer Trunkaby, the precinct’s largest mammal.

 

“Hey Francine, how big are you?”

 

\----------

 

“Hey Nick, what do you think of this outfit for the party?” Judy asked as she held out a top for Nick to see. The fox, who was currently digging through a discount rack, didn’t even turn to look as he responded.

 

“Too frumpy, Fluff. Think less middle aged farmer’s wife at book club and more young up and coming bun making headlines.”

 

“But you didn’t even look at it? How would you even know?”

 

“I know you well enough that when we walked by this section I knew you were going to pick that one.”

 

“Or you saw it in the reflection of that mirror there, Slick.” Judy deadpanned as she pointed to a standing mirror that would have indeed given Nick the perfect angle to see the top without turning around. Nick turned to look at her over his shoulder with a single eye, giving her a sly look.

 

“I guess we’ll never know, will we?”

 

“Ugh whatever, just help me out here will you?” Judy rolled her eyes and returned the admittedly frumpy top to the sales rack.

 

“Have no fear, Carrots, Nick is here.” Nick proclaimed, and with a flourish, he produced three articles of clothing from the rack he had been perusing. Judy took them with reverence, eyes going wide as she looked at each hangered piece one at a time.

 

“Nick, these are nice! This one might be pushing the boundaries of politesse, but damn would I look good in it.” Holding the slightly scandalous top up against her frame, she turned to observe it in the mirror before nodding and heading towards the change rooms. 

 

After donning the first couple outfits, she put on the final pick, The midnight purple top had a deep cut neck trimmed with lace and small glittering rhinestones. Up along each side was a strip of black, sheer fabric that revealed the fur on her sides if one were to look. 

 

“Guess I’d have to go bra-less in this one.” Judy mumbled to herself. “Not that I’ve got any bust to make a difference.” 

 

Making her decision, Judy changed back into her own clothes and left the change room. Looking around she spotted Nick eyeing up a black dress that was way too big to be for her.

 

“Whatcha got there Slick?”

 

“Mmm trying to decide if I should add this magnificent piece to my undercover wardrobe. I’d look fantastic.” Nick laughed and put the dress back where it came from. “Ready to roll?”

 

“Yup! I gotta tell you partner, for someone who wears the most ridiculous Pawaiian shirts around, you sure do know your fashion. What’s the deal?”

 

“Honest answer?”

 

“Well  _ duh. _ ”

 

“Alright, you’ll think this is a bit stupid but, those shirts share the  _ exact _ same pattern as the wallpaper in my Mom’s house. When I found them, I bought as many as I could to keep her close when I was at my lowest.”

 

“Oh Nick, that’s not stupid at all! That’s really very sweet.” Judy looked up at Nick with those big shining eyes and Nick had to look away with embarrassment. 

 

“Alright, alright, enough with the bunny eyes, bun bun. Let’s get going.”

 

“Sure thing you big softie.”

 

\-----------

 

Judy was on her fourth drink of the evening, leaving her feeling quite warm. Or maybe it was Nick’s outfit. He had made his home behind the bar and was dressed for the part. A black and white pinstriped button up dress shirt, white cuffs rolled up to his elbows, held in place with arm garters. A dark purple pocket square that almost perfectly matched her top was tucked into his breast pocket, and a stark white skinny tie was loosely tied around his neck. White suspenders brought it all together as the handsome fox worked his magic with the cocktail shaker, slinging out libations for any mammal that came his way. Pulling her gaze away from her foxy friend, Judy surveyed the scene before her.

 

The party was in full swing with friends and co-workers mingling across the patio and inside the event room. Snacks and food platters were laid out on tables, some prepared by Ben, Nick, and herself, and many others brought by guests. She saw Bogo talking and laughing with Higgins and Rhinowitz by the railing, Higgins looking like he had just delivered one of his jokes. Rhinowitz’s face looked unchanged except for the slight curve of his lips and the ever so slight shudder of his shoulders as he tried to contain his laughter. 

 

Over by the DJ booth where Finnick was serving up lively tunes, Flash and Priscilla were slow dancing away. Or was it just regular dancing? It was hard to tell with sloths. 

 

At a table near the bar Fangmeyer was hitting on one of the tiger dancers from Gazelle’s troup with some success by the looks of things. 

 

Benjamin was playing charades with a group of mammals, including his secret crush, Officer Kii Catano, a fellow cheetah. Ben’s wild and theatrical gesticulations were quite the spectacle to watch; the big cat threw himself into each part with everything he had, resulting in mostly correct guesses from his team. 

 

Wolford was next up for his team and started off with dull, hard to decipher movements.

 

“Jackal! It’s a jackal! Is it a jackal?” Howlson, Wolford’s partner yelled out. Wolford shook his head with an exasperated sigh. Judy laughed and made her way inside. 

 

Heading over to a table near the corner by the hallway, Judy found a tray of fudge brownies and decided to indulge a bit. Some food might help with the booze as well. Not a minute had gone by when a group of her female co-workers came by with similar thoughts in mind. The poor tray of fudgey deliciousness never had a chance. Gossip and chatter soon started to flow and Judy found herself asking Kii what she thought of Benjamin. 

 

“Oh goodness, he’s such a  _ riot _ ain’t he? Always so much fun to be around. Why, is he single?”

 

Playing it casual, but inwardly rejoicing, Judy took a sip of her drink before replying.

 

“Last I heard, yeah. I could ask him what he thinks of you, if you want?”

 

Kii’s tail flicked up into her paws where she twisted it around her fingers as she deliberated. 

 

“And there’s her tell folks! Decision made!” Catano’s lynx partner, Janice Broadfoot, laughed as she poked at Kii’s side.

 

“Oh cut it out, Jan!” Kii huffed. “Could you ask him Hopps, maybe?”

 

“Of course! He  _ is  _ one of my best friends. It’ll be a cake walk.”

 

“How ‘bout you Hopps, how’s your love life going? Things a bit better since you dropped that egotistical prick?” Broadfoot turned her sights on Judy. Murmurs of shared sentiments towards her ex sounded out from around her as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

 

“Eh, haven’t really done anything to be honest, just haven’t had the drive, you know?”

 

“This coming from a rabbit, ha!” someone joked.

 

“Can it, Fields.” Catano groused. “What about you and your foxy friend over there? You ever thought about takin’ a walk of the  _ Wilde _ side?” 

 

Normally Judy would have avoided speaking of any romantic interest in Nick in a heartbeat, but since she was on drink number four of Nick’s ‘Rainbow Booze Cruise’, a Midori Sour, she spilled her guts without a second thought.

 

“Oh absolutely! Early on, I was really hoping for him to give me some kind of clue to show that he might be interested, but he’s just so damn hard to read! Even now, I rarely have any idea what’s going through the foxy brain of his.”

 

As she was speaking, Judy’s gaze had shifted over to the bar, where Nick had been the whole night, but was now being run by a stern faced Bogo. The silence around her brought her attention back to her co-workers, who were now staring at her with shock.

 

“What?” 

 

“Uh, that’s just not what we thought you were gonna say.” Kii stated dumbly. 

 

“Oh? You thought I was gonna say something else? Like:” Judy cleared her throat and put on a disgusted face, speaking loudly. “Me date a  _ fox _ ? My parents would  _ disown _ me!” she then mimicked pointing a gun at her head and shooting, rolling her eyes as she did. The group erupted in laughter at her over the top antics.

 

“Something like that, eh?” 

 

\-----------

 

Coming back from the washroom, Nick was about to open the door to the event room when he heard Judy’s voice from inside the room.

 

“Me date a  _ fox _ ? My parents would  _ disown _ me!” 

 

Laughter followed her words before he heard her say something else, but it was lost unclear through the sounds of the other mammals. 

 

Staring down at the doorknob clutched in his now shaking paw, Nick released it and took a few steps back. Casting his gaze about the empty hallway, Nick stared around at nothing. A thousand thoughts flew through his mind before he settled on a course of action. Waiting a couple minutes before approaching the door again, Nick slipped on his old hustling smile and entered the room. Passing by the table with the group of females, he turned to them as he went.

 

“Ladies.” He said with a nod. “Carrots.” He said with a wink. 

 

Making it out to the patio, Nick went back over to the bar where Bogo was handing a beer to a nervous looking Wolford. The large cape buffalo turned back to Nick to address him.

 

“Back to it then, Wilde?”

 

“Actually Chief, I think I’ll imbibe a little. I’ll take two fingers of whiskey, if you’d please. One cube of ice.”

 

Bogo served him the drink in silence.

 

“Hell of a party, eh Chief?”

 

“Hell of a party, Wilde.”


	6. In Which Judy Is Not Really In This One Much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shortness of this one, it's more of a segue than anything, but this one will be wrapping up soon.

When Nick awoke the next morning it was to the telltale ache and nausea of a legendary hangover. Thankfully, he was an old hand at dealing with such troubles and made it to the kitchen with little difficulty. Basking in the darkness that came from having closed all his blinds the night before, the fox picked up the bottle of pain medication he had set out on the counter and removed two of the small green capsules. Grabbing a glass from the cupboard he moved to the tap to fill it with water, taking two large gulps of the liquid before popping the pills into his mouth. Washing them down with the remaining water, he then opened the fridge and filled the empty glass with orange juice.

 

Having something not alcohol in his belly was already helping to ease his self induced condition and Nick decided that he was up for some breakfast as well. Spinning open the bread bag and dropping two pieces of dark rye into the toaster, he debated his choice of spread. Opening another cupboard he pulled out the jar of extra smooth peanut butter.

 

“Like there was even a choice.” he muttered, surprising himself with how hoarse his voice was. Coughing a couple times to clear his throat he blinked wearily at the feeling.

 

“Whoa. Turned it _up_ last night. Been awhile since we did that eh Nicky ol’ boy?”

 

Moving over to the kitchen island and opening the cutlery drawer, he pulled out a butter knife and settled in to wait for his toast to pop. As he stared at the toasting appliance his thoughts wandered to the night before.

 

\-------

 

The housewarming party had tapered off around one in the morning with Judy a little more than pie-eyed and well into the ‘feeling no pain’ stage. Nick had gently coerced her into turning in for the night before he saw all the guests off and locked up her apartment with the spare key she had given him.

 

After a heaving a huff of breath, Nick pulled out his phone and dialed a number he hadn’t called in at least two years. It rang twice before a mammal on the other end answered over the sounds of thumping drums and squealing guitars.

 

“WIlde-baby! Long time! What’s kickin’ you old rascal?”

 

“Lemmy you son of a gun! Been an age huh? What are you up to tonight, feel like painting the town red with an old pal?”

 

“Ha! Who do you think you’re talkin’ to red? I’ll meet’chu at the Ol’ Stomper in fifteen.”

 

\--------

 

Scenes and flashes of a night of liver abuse passed through the fox’s mind as he relived the past several hours of his night. The two of them had certainly went to town with the intent to get into it, from what he could recall. They had started off at the traditional pub named Ol’ Stomper and things rapidly spiraled downwards from there. Nick was sure that they had hit every pub, club, and bar within the downtown night distric that night. Knowing which stops closed later than others was a skill earned through many years of frequenting the area, which the two had done in their younger days, allowing them to stay out until nearly four in the morning.

 

The sudden spring loaded noise of his toast popping up from the toaster brought Nick out of his thoughts. Grabbing the jar of peanut butter and knife he went to work slathering the crispy bread with peanutty goodness.

 

Taking his breakfast over to the couch on a plate, Nick set it down on the coffee table and went back into his bedroom to retrieve his phone, not surprised at the amount of missed messages waiting for him.

 

Sinking down into his plush couch, Nick picked up his toasted peanut butter sandwich with one paw while he unlocked his phone and began sorting through his messages and snapcat notifications.

 

Noting several from Judy brought a slight grimace to his face. Shaking it off he opened them up to read.

 

7:05 AM: Ugh my head. Kill me now. You up yet?

 

7:06 AM: Whoa, what’s with all these snaps? Who’s the coyote? Where were guys?

 

7:10 AM: How late did you stay out?

 

7:11 AM: CHEESE AND CRACKERS NICK IS THAT GAZELLE? YOU PARTIED WITH GAZELLE AND DIDN’T INVITE ME???

 

Groaning as that little tidbit revealed itself from the dark clouds of his addled brain, he read on.

 

7:11 AM: PS you’re an awful singer ;P

 

8:14 AM: Who’s that bunny? She’s pretty. You seemed close.

 

8:20 AM: You’re probably still asleep, lazy fox. Call me when you get up.

 

Looking at the clock revealed it was just after eleven in the morning. Moving to this other messages and snaps, he decided he call Judy shortly. Opening the Snapcat app he perused through his received snaps, chuckling as a video snap from Lemmy portrayed him drunk-singing tunelessly to a laughing Gazelle and her entourage. There was another from the fun loving coyote of him with a pretty rabbit hanging off one arm while they slammed back shots of who knew what.

 

“Uh boy that’s gonna take some damage control.”

 

Moving back to his messages he opened one from Clawhauser that he didn’t even need to read to know the contents of.

 

8:07 AM: NICHOLAS WILDE!1!! W T HECKIN’ HECK??1!? U KNO GAZELLE U-

 

Nick closed the message, having got the gist rather clearly. Opening up a message from Finnick he polished off his toasted sandwich as he read.

 

9:55 AM: Nice night out eh? Shame I was busy, looked like fun. Ay check out the view from your window when you get up. Ciao

 

Nick put his phone down and moved to his window, bracing his eyes for the sudden onslaught of light as he pulled the blinds back. After a short moment of adjustment he looked out his window, casting his gaze about the street searching for what Finnick was talking about. Not seeing anything apparent he was about to turn back to his living room when he saw the billboard above the building across the street.

 

The large Riverprance ad featuring Judy’s ex Lance had been hilariously vandalized; a giant, black, curling moustache spray painted across the broadway actor’s muzzle, with a small, pointed goatee beard accompanying it.

 

Nick took a few seconds to process what he was seeing before bursting with laughter, clutching his belly and bent double from the force of his laughs, wheezing and gulping for air in between each guffaw.

  
“Oh good _GOD_ that is good!”


	7. In Which Judy Admits She Pussied Out

“Slow down Nicholas, they’re not going anywhere.” the dulcet voice of an elder vixen sounded from the kitchen, accompanied by a soft laugh. Stepping out into the dining room of her apartment, Anabelle Wilde was carrying another plate of waffles, stacked three high and covered with berries, whipped cream, and syrup.

 

Nick quickly swallowed with an audible gulp before ducking his head with a bashful grin, looking up at his mother.

 

“Sorry Mom, just can’t get enough. The ones I make are good, but nothin’ beats the original recipe.”

 

“You _have_ the original recipe, I gave you my only copy. I just know it by heart, as will _you_ eventually.”

 

Setting the plate of golden waffles down in the center of the table, Anabelle took her seat opposite Nick and dished two more waffles onto his plate before moving the last one to her own plate. Folding her napkin across her lap, she then picked up her knife and fork. Cutting a conservative piece of waffle free and swiping it through a large dollop of whipped cream, she brought it in front of her mouth before looking at Nick.

 

“So. What brings my darling boy to my home after clearly bending his arm a few times the night before, hmm? In search of advice?”

 

And with that, she popped the tasty morsel in her mouth and chewed while casting a half-lidded gaze across the table.

 

Nick let out a sigh and set his utensils down on his plate.

 

“Yeah Mom, I need some advice.”

 

Anabelle smiled smugly and nodded with her eyes closed, secure in the knowledge that she was correct in her guess.

 

“Indeed. Lady troubles, I assume?” Adopting a coy look, Anabelle smirked at her son.

 

“You would be correct in your assumption.”

 

“Alright kiddo, lay it on me. What’s got you all ruffled? Is it Judy?”

 

The mention of the rabbit’s name caused Nick’s posture to slump.

 

“Judy it is then. Let me guess. You told her how you felt and she shot you down.”

 

“Not _exactly_ , but close.”

 

“Oh? Do tell.”

 

Nick let his gaze rest on his plate, one waffle remained for him to conquer yet.

 

“Well, I may have _overheard_ her say that she wouldn’t date me because her parents wouldn’t approve, but I’m not so sure now that I’ve thought about it.”

 

“That does sound very out of character of her, from what you’ve told me of her.” Nick’s mother hummed, bringing one paw under her chin in thought. Nick nodded enthusiastically, gesturing with his fork.

 

“Exactly! I don’t know why she would have said it though, and it was quite loudly too.”

 

Nick mirrored his mother and rubbed his chin in thought as he puzzled the situation for the hundredth time.

 

“Maybe if you weren’t so set on being Mr. Cool, aloof, nothing can faze me because I’m so cool-”

 

“You said cool twice, Mom.” Nick deadpanned.

 

“Then you could _actually_ give this poor rabbit a chance to see how you _feel_ about her. I mean, open up a little Nick, it’s not going to kill you. This is _exactly_ why Naomi never asked you out.”

 

“What? Naomi? Like, Naomi White from across the street? She was _interested_ in me?”

 

“She _was_ , but she could never figure out if you felt anything for her.”

 

“Mom you need to tell me these things!” Nick cried out, exasperated at the missed chance. Gripping both ears and pulling them down the sides of his head, he groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, turning his face up towards the ceiling.

 

“Well it’s your own damn fault for not paying attention.” Anabelle huffed, crossing her arms over her chest with finality. “Now, what’s your plan with Judy?”

 

Nick released his ears with a sigh and opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling, dropping his paws into his lap.

 

“She texted me this morning to call her when I was up, but I didn’t have my thoughts together to deal with her yet, so I came here.”

 

Anabelle nodded at him to continue.

 

“I don’t really wanna unload how I feel about her over the phone so I guess I’ll call her and set up a meeting somewhere. Got any ideas on where a heartfelt confession would be best received?”

 

“Brendale Gardens, the weather’s perfect for it today.”

 

“Wow that was remarkably quick.”

 

“It’s where your father proposed to me. The flowers there are unbelievable this time of year, and she’ll appreciate that since she’s a bunny. Trust me, she’ll be more receptive to the sentiment in a place like that.”

 

“Gotcha.”

 

“Yessir, you’ll be swooning in each other’s arms, dancing the Lambada in no time.”

 

“That’s the _forbidden dance_!” Nick gasped in mock scandal, speaking in an exaggerated stage whisper. The pair of foxes laughed and began to clean up the dishes.

 

\-----------

 

Judy’s morning was off to a _fantastic_ start, if she had to put a word to it. Italicization included. If that word was being spoken, any listener would know that it was actually the _opposite_ meaning of fantastic that Judy was going for, but that would be obvious to the listener as they would most likely also be in sight of Judy, who, for lack of a better description, looked like shit.

 

“Whoa Judes, you look like _shit_.”

 

Judy slowly turned her bloodshot gaze towards the large overweight cheetah that sat to her right at the circular table she had just taken a seat at. It was smoothie day between Benjamin, Fru-Fru, and herself and she had crawled out of bed in order to make it to the café on time.

 

Practically withering under the glare being sent his way, Benjamin smiled nervously, bunching his paws up in front of his chest.

 

“Sorry Judes, it just slips out sometimes, like this one time I was at-”

 

“I get the picture, thanks Ben.” Judy rubbed her forehead while pressing her smoothie to the side of her face, uncaring of the wet fur that came from the action.

 

Fru-Fru, who was seated at a miniature table on the surface of the regular table they were at took a drink from her smoothie before addressing Judy.

 

“I hate to say it hon, but Benji’s right. You sure you don’ wanna head back to bed for a bit?”

 

“No, it’s alright Fru. I brought this upon myself anyways. I wanna be awake for when Nick calls too.”

 

“Oh! M’God! Judy did you _see_ Nick’s snaps from last night?” Benjamin squealed. Judy had been dreading this part of the morning since she had remembered that she would be meeting two of the biggest gossips that she knew. Shutting her eyes in preparation for the coming conversation, Judy groaned out an affirmative.

 

“Yes Ben, I saw them.”

 

Fru-Fru and Ben looked at each other before looking back to Judy.

 

“Well, wha’cha gonna do about it?” Fru asked. Judy shot a puzzled look between the two of them.

 

“What do you mean? I’m gonna talk to him like I normally do, why would I do anything different? What he does in his spare time isn’t my business, really.”

 

Immediately Judy knew that was the wrong thing to say.

 

“Ju-dy!” Benjamin drew out the vowels in her name in a pitiful whine, face pinched with exasperation. Fru-Fru shook her head, eyes rolling in disbelief. Judy quickly went on the defensive.

 

“What! It’s true, I don’t have any say-”

 

“Oh come off it, Judes! _Clearly_ something happened between the two of you last night that sent Nick off on some kind of ‘tour de force’ of partying. What happened?” the chubby cheetah had stood up from his seat, bracing both paws on the table in an effort to drive his question home.

 

“Yeah Jude, I saw the snap of that poshed up bun tryin’ ta cozy up with Nicky, that’s _definitely_ a sign! I think he might have been subconsciously tryin’ ta fill a void that’s normally filled by _you_! Classic behaviour of someone who’s trying to get over someone.” the tiny shrew nodded, eyes closed sagely.

 

Both Judy and Benjamin stopped to look at her like she had grown a second head. Realizing that she was being stared at, Fru-Fru turned back to her smoothie with a huff.

 

“What? I like ta read articles on psychology.”

 

“Anyways, what’s the deal honey-bun? Did you and Nick have a falling out? Ah! He asked you out and you ruthlessly shot him down in a blaze of heartbroken-”

 

“Agh! No! I don’t know what happened alright?” Judy cried out, falling back into her seat, head tossed back in frustration. “I don’t think I said anything out of the ordinary to him, but I can’t remember for sure! I remember him taking me back to my bed and then heading out, but I’m _positive_ I didn’t say anything out of the norm. Did you hear anything Benji?”

 

The fat cat shook his head, eyes rolled in thought as he slurped away at his smoothie.

 

“I don’t remember anything noteworthy, sorry Judes.”

 

Heaving out a sigh, Judy crumpled forwards onto the table, folding her arms under her chin, one paw poking idly at her half-consumed banana berry blast smoothie.

 

“Either way, I think something’s gotta give here honey. I think you should tell him how you feel.” Fru-Fru said patiently, folding her tiny paws in front of her.

 

“But what _do_ I feel for him? Is it more than just attraction? Are we so close already that turning it to romantic interest is just the next logical step? I know _I_ want to find out the answers to those questions, but does Nick? And if so are we ready to actually make it happen? Isn’t it too soon after Lance?”

 

“K, first off, fuck that guy, and second of all, Lance was always filler for you since you chickened out on asking Nick out and settled. Then you kept him around because it was above average sex and nothing was seemingly wrong.”

 

“Ugh, I _hate_ it when you’re right. But I could never pin down if Nick’s into me or not, I tried dropping hints and signals, but they bounced off his charmingly smug face! And I’ve _never_ seen him with a girl _ever_.”

 

“I’m gonna say a-yea, he’s into you.” Ben stated. “You’re practically all he ever talks about, and I’ve seen that fox turn down _models_ without batting an eye. He’s got it _bad_ for the _bunny_.”

 

Both Ben and Fru chortled away as Judy tried to look upset but was grinning away like a goof.

 

“Oh stop already.”

 

“I guess we’ll see when Nicky finally calls you.” Fru-Fru shrugged.

 

“Yeah, that’s true. I think I’ll rake him over the coals a bit first. That slick piece of work was holding out on me. Gazelle? Like what the fun!”

 

“Fuckin’ _tell_ me about it girlfriend!? That is _so unfair_!” Benjamin all but cried, thrusting his arms down to the side.

 

“I think it was just coincidence-” Fru-Fru began but was cut off when Judy’s phone began to ring. The clunky chime of her ringtone rang out again before Judy scrambled to bring it out of her pocket, starting at the screen with apprehension.

 

“It’s Nick.”


	8. In Which Judy Discovers

Brendale Gardens were what many would call a ‘tourist hotspot’. A modern marvel of engineering, it incorporated aspects of mid-century design, groundbreaking landscaping, and a minor miracle in plumbing. Seven tiers of differing floral climates interspersed about two acres of cityscape often brought many a mammal to a staring stupor. The many planters, troughs, and platforms suspended, fixed to the sides of buildings, and cast about the walking paths stretched on as far as the eye could see, filled and more often than not, overflowing with plant life. Such was the site that greeted Judy as she approached the designated meeting spot. 

 

Even though she had worked and lived in the giant city of Zootopia for more than three years now, there were still places like this that she had never been to. That fact, and the awe of the gardens, stole the breath from her lungs. Eyes quickly darting from feature to feature, the grey rabbit was almost frantic trying to take it all in, unsure of where to look next in case she missed something. Only the clearing of a throat behind her brought her from her trance-like state.

 

“Hey, Carrots.”

 

Judy turned towards the sound of Nick’s voice, expecting to see his smug grin plastered across his face, his usual tropical print shirt and clashing tie looped gracelessly around his neck. 

 

She was surprised to find almost none of that though. Instead of an off colour green shirt, Nick was wearing a grey dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a pair of dark brown slacks. Missing was the tie, and his face was also missing the usual smirk. Instead, a look Judy couldn’t quite place was gracing his features. A small smile was spread across his lips, but his eyes were pinched with something close to discomfort. 

 

A thought about her own appearance crossed her mind, especially with how she now seemed underdressed in her oversized t-shirt and leggings, sports bra strap showing on one shoulder. The thought left her mind quickly enough as it was replaced with concern for why Nick looked like he was about to tell her he was terminally ill. She had to physically restrain herself from running over and hugging the stuffing out of him to make sure he was alright. Hundreds of words jumped to the front of her brain that she wanted to shout out, but all that came out was his name. 

 

“Nick.”

 

The pair stared at each other for a few moments, clearly aware that something had changed between them, but silently hoping the other would broach the topic first. 

 

Instead, a fountain chose that moment to erupt off the the side of them, drawing their attention. Judy couldn’t help but gasp in awe.

 

“Pretty amazing, isn’t it?”

 

“I can’t believe I’ve never been here, this is right up my alley.” Judy agreed in a near whisper. 

 

The pair had drifted closer to each other and were now standing at arms distance, still gazing at the wild wonders around them. Another minute went by when Nick drew a breath and seemed to steel himself.

 

“Listen, Judy, I-” Nick began, but Judy cut across him as she turned to look at him, an intense look in her eyes.

 

“Can I be bold for a moment?”

 

The request caught the fox flat footed and he floundered for a moment before replying.

 

“You’ve always been the bold one Carrots.” Nick said with a small laugh.

 

Judy didn’t say anything but instead reached up with swift surety to grasp the sides of Nick’s face and drew his lips down to hers. The startled fox quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around the smaller rabbit, one gripping her shoulders, the other supporting her lower back. The sounds of the garden seemed to lessen in the moment, the pair’s tactile senses overwhelmed with the sensations they were receiving. After a drawn out moment, they separated, slightly out of breath and eyes locked on the other’s; searching, finding, and understanding. 

 

Nick breathed deeply before smiling beatifically, drawing the smaller rabbit into a crushing embrace. Judy squeaked with delight before returning the hug with just as much fervor. Again they separated, each with their own giant grin, before linking paws and turning to enter the garden.

 

Several times Nick opened his mouth to try and speak, but ended up laughing and abandoning the effort with a shake of his head, his contented smile refusing to leave.

 

Judy just skipped along, an entirely ‘too-smug-for-my-own-good’ look across her face.

 

The two of them continued on throughout the garden, stopping at various points of interest, taking in the splendor of the gardens, and basking in each other.

 

\---------------

 

Upon leaving, the newly minted couple decided to return to Nick’s apartment for dinner, picking up some groceries along the way. Nick sent off a quick message to his mother informing her of his success, despite knowing that she would be incredibly smug for the next while. Judy, in turn, sent a message to Clawhauser and Fru-Fru, getting them caught up on things. She had to turn off her phone after the fifth time Clawhauser tried to call her though. 

 

On the way back to Nick’s apartment Judy caught sight of the vandalized billboard which now had a couple of beaver workers trying to clean off the spray paint. Judy let out a full on snorting laugh before covering her mouth in horror. She then turned to look at Nick who was trying as hard as possible to look innocent.

 

“Nicholas Wilde! You!” Judy tried to muster up some righteous anger about the obvious lawbreaking but couldn’t wipe the smile off her face, eventually falling back into a laughing fit. The struggling bunny was too much for Nick to endure and he burst out laughing as well.

 

“Come on.” Nick said between laughs “Let’s get inside.”

 

Once they were safely inside Nick’s apartment, groceries set out, and cooking started, Judy turned to Nick and buried her face in his chest.

 

“That you would do that for me…” Judy mumbled through the ‘Fox in the Cookhouse’ apron Nick was wearing.

 

Nick smiled down at her and lovingly stroked the space between her ears, drawing a contented sigh from the bunny.

 

“I’d do anything for you Carrots, you know that.”

 

Judy withdrew her face from his chest and fixed him with a look so powerful it damn near stopped time.

 

“Do I know that?”

 

She stretched up and kissed him.

 

“Yes. Yes I do.”

 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Sorry for the length on this one, both in word count and in the time it took for it to arrive. I'm alive and well, despite the wilderness doing its best to do me in. 6 months of field work well spent though, so hopefully now I can work on my writing! Woo! I have a couple more ideas to flesh out, and obviously finish Storm Warning, but they will get out there.
> 
> Cheers!


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